ST. PAUL, Minn., April 2, 2014 - The following is a statement from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone in response to the bonding bill passed today by the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee:

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to Representative Alice Hausman and the Capital Investment Committee for their support and their commitment to keeping Minnesota competitive,” said Rosenstone. “The projects funded in the bill passed today are critical to our students and to the communities we serve. They will help prepare our graduates for the work that needs to been done to ensure Minnesota’s global competitiveness and economic prosperity.”

The bonding bill passed by the House Capital Investment Committee includes $139.1 million in state financing and $54.5 million of campus funding for a total of $193.6 million for 20 capital projects at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities campuses throughout the state. The bill includes funding for essential capital projects, including:

Business, manufacturing and trades: Seven projects that enhance academic facilities and spaces for business, manufacturing and the trades at college and university campuses in Bemidji, St. Paul, Winona, White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi, and Anoka.

Science and technology: Three projects that improve learning environments in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) at campuses in Red Wing, St. Paul, and North Mankato.

Education and student success: Six projects that prepare teachers and support student success critical to building and sustaining a highly skilled workforce for Minnesota at campuses in St. Paul, Staples, Rochester, St. Cloud, Winona, and Fergus Falls.

Health and medical: Five projects that directly support the education and training of Minnesota’s health and medical workforce at campuses in Duluth, Mankato, Grand Rapids, International Falls, Ely, Hibbing, East Grand Forks, and Winona.

Automotive and transportation: Three projects that support automotive and transportation with investments in campuses in Anoka, Rosemont, Moorhead, and Thief River Falls.

MnSCU’s top priority is Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR) funding for maintenance and repair of existing buildings and infrastructure on college and university campuses in communities throughout Minnesota. The bill passed by the committee includes $30 million in HEAPR funding, which falls short of MnSCU’s original $110 million request and is not sufficient to address the $130.6 million in immediate repair and maintenance projects identified by MnSCU colleges and universities. The HEAPR request includes repair and replacement of roofs, plumbing and electrical systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, upgrade and/or installation of fire alarms and sprinklers, elevators, window replacement, tuckpointing, life safety and code compliance projects, and replacement of other items that have reached the end of their useful life expectancy. MnSCU colleges and universities have responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of 28 million square feet of building space, which is approximately one-third of the state of Minnesota’s total facilities.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities include 24 two-year community, technical, and comprehensive colleges and seven state universities serving more than 430,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system of its kind in the United States.